Car-coupling



' (No Model.) 2Sheets-Sheet 1.

. E. L. KEELER.

' GAR COUPLING.

No. 385,185. Patented June 26, 1888.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets sheet 2.

13. L. KEELER.

GAB COUPLING. v N0. 385,185. Pate ntedJune 26, 1888.

N. PETERs, Flwlo-Lillw grapher. wishin u c.

UNITED STATES PATENT UEErcE.

EDWVARD L. KEELER, OF BEAVER FALLS, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR-COUPLING.

EtPECIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 385,185, dated June26, 1888.

Application filed December 13, 1887. Serial No. 257,771. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD L. KEELER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Beaver Falls, in the county of Beaver and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCar-Couplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to couplings, and has for its object theconstruction of a coupling which will automatically engage with acorresponding draw-head.

The invention will be hereinafter described, and particularly pointedout in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification,Figure 1 is a perspective view of one end of a car provided with myimproved coupling. Figs. 2 and 3 are side views with the draw-head andlink in section, and Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of two draw'headsprovided with my improve; ments.

Reference being had to the drawings and the letters marked thereon, Arepresents the drawhead, which is provided with a vertical rect angularslot, at, having a rear perpendicular wall, b, an angular front wall, 0,in the upper part thereof, and a support, (1, adjacent to said frontwall and crossing the slot at at right angles to its length for thecoupling-pin B to rest upon when set in position for automatic coupling,as shown in Fig. 3. The upper side of the draw-head is also providedwith a seat, 6, for supporting the pin B when set in position not tocouple, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. The pin is set inthisposition when cars are being shifted about a yard and it is notdesirable to have them coupled.

In the rear end of the draw-head A is formed a chamber, f, which has anupper inclined wall, a horizontal. bottom, 71, and a projection, t,which latter crosses the front end of the chamber f and forms a fulcrumfor the link 0, whereby the link may be raised and lowered by beingbrought into contact with the inclined wall 9 to accommodate the link incoupling with cars of different heights. The month of the draw-head isprovided with a long curved surface, k, upon which the link 0 rides intoposition for automatically tripping the pin B and coupling two cars. Thelink may, however, be raised mechanically by means of leverl, whichextends across the car-truck, to be operated on either side of the car,and engages with an arm, 2, fulcrumed at 3. To the end of the arm 2 isattached a bar or dog, 4, with a bent end, 5, which engages with the endof the link, as shown in Fig. 4.

The link G is elliptical in crosssection at its ends, as shown, forengagement with the front and rear curved surfaces 2 m, of the pin B. Incoupling cars the outer curved surface a, on the upper side of the linkstrikes the front curved surface, Z, of the pin B and raises it from thesupport (Z, when the pin will swing back and fall through the link 0 andthe slot a in the lower side of the drawhead. While the link is enteringthe drawhead of an adjacent car, the outer curved sur face 0 of the linkstrikes the curved surface h in the mouth of the draw-head, and isthereby guided on its way to trip the pin B.

The pin B is provided at its lower end with a notch, p, which engageswith the support (I and the seat 6 of the draw-head, and at its upperend with a head, g, and is attached to an arm, 0', of an operatingrock-shaft, 'r, by means of a chain or ring, 8, ,which engages with anaperture, t, in a projection, a, on the pin B. By providing the head qand connecting the pin out of the line of the center of gravity the pinwill always rest in an inclined position, as shown, and when disengagedfrom its support will swing on the arm 0' of the rock shaft.

When the pin B is raised by the shaft 1",the

upper end of the pin falls back toward the car, strikes against theunder side of the arm 0', and is thus securely held from being thrownout of alignment with the slot a in the drawhead, while the lower end ofthe pin will move forward and seat itself upon the support d or the seat0. The shaft 0 is secured in suitable supports on the end of a car, andis provided at each end with a lever, 11, for raising the pin B foruncoupling.

In uncoupling,the inner curved surface, w,of the link 0 strikes againstthe curved surface m of the pin B and raises it sufficiently for thelink to pass under it without tripping or disengaging the pin from itssupport d.

By the construction shown cars may be readily coupled and uncoupledwithout exposing the employ to any danger, and cars of different heightsconnected without strain upon any of the operating parts.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is 1. In acar-coupling, a draw-head having a vertical rectangular slot, one of thewalls of which is inclined and provided with two sup ports for acoupling-pin, in combination with a pin having a notch or seat in itslower end, and an operating-shaft upon which said pin is suspended,substantially as described.

2. In a car-coupling, a draw-head having a chamber in the rear portionthereof, provided with a rearwardly inclined upper wall and a projectionacross the front end ofsaid chamber, in combination with a link havingits ends curved, substantially as shown, and for the purpose described.

8. In a car-coupling, a draw-head having a vertical right-angular slotand a transverse support, in combination with a pin having a projectionon its end provided with front and rear curved surfaces and a notch orseat, and

alink having double-curved surfaces on its ends, substantially asdescribed.

4. In a car-coupling, a draw-head provided with a vertical slot havingan inclined wall, a transverse shaft secured to the car-body andprovided with an arm, and a coupling-pin secured to said arm by a ringor chain on one side of its median line, substantially as described.

5. A coupling-pin weighted on one side of its median line, incombination with an operating-arm to which the pin is attached by a ringor chain on the opposite side of said line,

a slotted draw-head, and a link, substantially

